e keeping a
mistress pretty much as though your wife? You are mistaken, Clinia,
and you don't know me, if you fancy that. I am willing that you should
be called my {son}, just as long as you do what becomes you; but if
you do not do so, I shall find out how it becomes me to act toward
you. This arises from nothing, in fact, but too much idleness. At your
time of life, I did not devote my time to dalliance, but, in
consequence of my poverty, departed hence for Asia, and there acquired
in arms both riches and military glory." At length the matter came to
this,-- the youth, from hearing the same things so often, and with
such severity, was overcome. He supposed that I, through age and
affection, had more judgment and foresight for him than himself. He
went off to Asia, Chremes, to serve under the king.

CHREM. What is it you say?

MEN. He departed without my knowledge-- {and} has been gone these
three months.

CHREM. Both are to be blamed-- although {I} still {think} this step
shows an ingenuous and enterprising disposition.

MEN. When I learned {this} from those who were in the secret,
I returned home sad, and with feelings almost overwhelmed and
distracted through grief. I sit down; my servants run to me; they take
off my shoes:[24] then some make all haste to spread the couches,[25]
and to prepare a repast; each according to his ability did zealously
{what he could}, in order to alleviate my sorrow. When I observed
this, I began to reflect thus:-- "What! are so many persons anxious
for my sake alone, to pleasure myself only? Are so many female
servants to provide me with dress?[26] Shall I alone keep up such an
expensive establishment, while my only son, who ought equally, or even
more so, to enjoy these things-- inasmuch as his age is better suited
for the enjoyment of them-- him, poor {youth}, have I driven away from
home by my severity! Were I to do this, really I should deem myself
deserving of any calamity. But so long as he leads this life of
penury, banished from his country through my severity, I will revenge
his wrongs upon myself, toiling, making money, saving, and laying up
for him." At once I set about it; I left nothing in the house, neither
movables[27] nor clothing; every thing I scraped together. Slaves,
male and female, except those who could easily pay for their keep by
working in the country, all of them I set up to auction and sold. I at
once put up a bill to sell my house.[28] I collected somew